Northerly Island Loop

Chicago, Illinois 60605

A quiet refuge from the bedlam of downtown, Northerly Island is one of the most historically fascinating places in Chicago. Once home to the fabled “Century of Progress” World’s Fair of 1933, it was almost chosen as the site of the United Nations Headquarters a decade later. Instead, the island served as an airport for over fifty years until the mayor converted the area into a minimalist park. Today, most of the island is a quiet, grassy expanse ringed by a gently sloping path that offers some truly dazzling views of Lake Michigan and Chicago’s skyline.

Northerly Island Loop

Chicago, Illinois 60605

A quiet refuge from the bedlam of downtown, Northerly Island is one of the most historically fascinating places in Chicago. Once home to the fabled “Century of Progress” World’s Fair of 1933, it was almost chosen as the site of the United Nations Headquarters a decade later. Instead, the island served as an airport for over fifty years until the mayor converted the area into a minimalist park. Today, most of the island is a quiet, grassy expanse ringed by a gently sloping path that offers some truly dazzling views of Lake Michigan and Chicago’s skyline.

Northerly Island Loop Professional Guide

Detailed Trail Description from our Guidebook

"A quiet refuge from the bedlam of downtown, Northerly Island is one of the most historically fascinating places in Chicago. Once home to the fabled “Century of Progress” World’s Fair of 1933, it was almost chosen as the site of the United Nations Headquarters a decade later. Instead, the island served as an airport for over fifty years until the mayor converted the area into a minimalist park. Today, most of the island is a quiet, grassy expanse ringed by a gently sloping path that offers some truly dazzling views of Lake Michigan and Chicago’s skyline."